Crowned Prince | hendery

20: The Third Prince

The main office, one that resembles a castle, Hwei's headquarters, never appeared so daunting until this moment. The younger prince looked like he was still exhausted from his activities, but couldn't seem to miss the opportunity to speak with her. With every turn that she had to follow him through, it was becoming clear that this prince wanted to speak with her as far away from his father's office as possible.

Then he stops. For the first time, he looks back and just nods his head at her before opening a huge door that leads to a balcony. Taeha followed closely behind. She never took notice how high up they were in the castle until she was standing staring at the kingdom of Hwei from such a high place.

"It is such a gorgeous view, is not?" Renjun was already leaning forward, he didn't wait for an answer from the princess. "Everyone passing by appears as if they are small and insignificant," with his hands he was tracing the people passing by and the streets it sat upon, "yet we are the same."

Taeha's head turned towards the prince. "You are a prince." She states with confidence.

"That does not change the mere fact that I am human."

"You are the child of the king and a son to a noble woman from Feliz." Taeha takes a few steps forward.

Then the prince goes quiet. Then he stands up straight. Taeha couldn't believe that such a confident appearing prince of Renjun would state such lines, it was unbelievable to think that he was the same person.

"My brother is foolish to think that he can trust you." Renjun turns around and crosses his arms over his chest. He was being rather bold in both looking at the princess as if he was of higher rank than her and leaning against the balcony railing that could lead to his death.

Taeha's face wrinkles. "I'm afraid I do not understand."

Renjun sighs. "Your plans of getting to my brother by acting as his ally have faults, princess of Sui." He calls her title as if to mock her. "My close encounters with you have been few, but it was enough to understand that you do not truly desire what the crowned prince desires."

Taeha was beginning to understand why she was pulled all the way up here. "I'm afraid that it is you who does not--"

"I do not want to appear rude," yet he was stopping her from finishing her sentence, "however, I do not believe that someone who is dominant in high society would meet my brother's desires eye to eye. His mother was a commoner, yet he was standing here as a prince." Taeha sighs upon hearing the misinformed prince speak. "He seeks the same simplicity of life that was deprived from him."

Then they were silent.

"My brother does not deserve to experience another heartache, he has been through enough to last him six lifetimes." Now, it became rather clear why he was doing all this. "The circle of upper society is small, once word roams around the circle, every ear has heard the whispers the walls promised to keep a secret."

"Are you speaking of the romance between the prince and the countess?"

Renjun blinks a couple of times towards her before looking back out into the public. "I think the news that reached your ears was simply of their relationship. Of their seemingly forbidden romance, one that should have never been present at all." Renjun pauses and leans forwards resting on the balcony railing. "Yet no tales of the havoc the castle went into when the elders found out have reached your ears."

Taeha stands there dumbfounded by the new found information. She only understood their situation as one that mimicked her own, but things were a lot different.

"The story of years that have passed is not mine to tell." Renjun bites down on his lips. "I was simply a bystander."

Taeha didn't notice that she was taking steps back until her back had hid the door that they entered.

"I digress," why was the youngest prince sighing so much, "has the thought behind my questions earlier finally come to your understanding?"

Taeha's head was already clouded. She could not come up with the idea behind his words, but if she weren't all panicked about the new found information about Guanxi and Hendery, she thinks she could have deciphered it. Yet all she could think about was how lightly she conversed with Hendery about his experience-- even with Guanxi.

"Do you truly have intentions to assist him?" Renjun eyebrows were now knit together as he simply moved his head to the side giving Taeha a view of his side profile.

"I have made a pact with your brother, I shall be assisting him to achieve what he wants as it would benefit not just him but I as well."

"Would it truly benefit you, your highness?" Again, it was as if Renjun was mocking her with the way he was addressing her. "How can someone so praised, so honored in high society want what my brother wants as well."

Taeha's ears twitch as he speaks as if he knew her. "What is it that you know of me that does not involve high society?" Taeha takes a step forward. "I simply strive because it is what I have been taught to do from the moment I could walk, yet as a royal yourself, your knowledge on the disadvantages a woman faces inside the walls of a castle should be of your knowledge--"

"I do know."

"Then must you think of the answer behind my desire to help your brother?"

"Yet you do not view the people of the kingdom as our equal? You praise me for being a prince, that I am unlike the commoners you see on the street."

"When did I utter such words?" Taeha looks confused.

Renjun tilts his head and turns his whole body around just to face her once again. "Did you not earlier--"

"You've misunderstood me, prince." Taeha shakes her head slowly. "Never had I uttered that the humans you viewed so small are not of your equal. It is that every human you see is of the same importance as royalty, their lives are as widely lived as our own. They experience suffering, grief, happiness and greed just as we do."

Renjun for the first time since they had gotten to the roof appears to have been silenced by her.

"We are not simple small humans. We are vast, deep and one that cannot simply be called small. As it is us humans who have built these cities, who created families and who share emotions. Neither you or the people we watch over are small." Taeha walks up slowly towards the prince. "Do you understand?"

Renjun looks away. Then it was quiet, the silence, however, was interrupted by the snickers coming from the younger prince.

"Then today shall be my loss." Renjun stands up straight and simply offers her a small smile. "I must admit that I have judged you too quickly, it is that I have seen the worst of my brother and I do not wish to see it once again."

Taeha looks up at him. He was unlike their other prince, military in style, it was odd but he seems to resemble her. He was much more cunning and not upfront with the way he woos his enemies and stirs them around. He was not as king as Hendery either, in fact, he seems to have gotten all that cunning ability from his brother. Yet the way he stood tall after admitting defeat makes him appear to be one great leader.

"Then I shall return you where I had found you," he walks past her, "before my brother searches every alley and corner of the castle and town just to find you."

"You exaggerate."

Renjun stops walking once they were inside the halls and simply smiles at her, there was mischief in the way he smiled at her. "Is that so?"

Sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but updates will continue to be much slower until my break. Until then I might publish at most twice or thrice a month if I can.